Last week I made my first attempt at vanilla chai. Pretty good for a first try but the recipe needs some tweaking. I loved the flavor combination of the cardamom and vanilla but it wasn't quite as spicy as I would have liked. Next time I'll add more pepper, possibly some ginger, and will even out the milk to water ratio. --- I recently left my job at the asian-style tea shop where I worked for a year to take two new positions that I am quite ecstatic about. I've started an internship with a local organization that provides scholarships for young women in India and began training at a new coffee shop, as well. The coffee shop uses a portion of it's annual proceeds to support international aid projects and job creation programs. These jobs require different skill sets from me but they feel very intertwined. They are similar in that they both exist to empower and support humanity on a global scale as well as to foster community and growth here in Atlanta. I'm looking forward to getting into the swing of things with both positions. It's been a hectic weekend trying to get my schedule and specific responsibilities ironed out but the final details are coming together! Here's to a smooth + productive week! Steph